The Table (La Table) (plate, folio 19) from Saint Matorel

The Table (La Table) (plate, folio 19) from Saint Matorel is a seminal print created by Pablo Picasso in 1910, officially published the following year. This precise etching, created from an illustrated book that also included plates employing drypoint, is one of four used to illuminate the surreal text Saint Matorel by the poet Max Jacob. The collaboration solidified Picasso’s commitment to printmaking during his radical Analytical Cubist period, demonstrating the powerful role of prints in disseminating new visual concepts. Dating precisely to 1910, published 1911, the etching exemplifies the Spanish artist's systematic and intellectual fragmentation of reality.

The composition, focused on the common subject of a table, demonstrates Picasso's rigorous application of the Analytical Cubist style. He renders the implied volume of the objects and the structure of the furniture not through traditional shading or perspective, but through intersecting and overlapping planar surfaces. The work forces the viewer to piece together the fragmented structure, resisting the illusion of three-dimensional space.

The etching technique was ideally suited for this analytical approach, allowing for sharp, intricate lines and densely cross-hatched sections that emphasize texture and skeletal structure over light and color. The sparse use of drypoint within the set further enriches the visual complexity, highlighting the experimental nature of Picasso’s involvement with the Illustrated Book medium during this crucial period.

The resulting image is a defining masterclass in early 20th-century abstraction. As a critical component of the illustrated book genre, The Table marked a turning point in how artists utilized prints to engage with literary content. This definitive example of Cubism, showcasing the Spanish master’s relentless pursuit of new formal solutions, is held within the esteemed collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).